]]>The “American Idol” judges are running out of glowing adjectives for Adam Lambert. Tonight alone we heard the words “brilliant,” “inspiring, “fascinating,” “awesome,” “hot,” “original” and “immaculate.” All this came after Adam turned Yvonne Elliman’s typically upbeat “If I Can’t Have You” from “Saturday Night Fever” into a slow, soulful and emotional ballad that had a teary-eyed Paula, in the words of Ryan Seacrest, “melting into a pool of Abdul.” But for an evening hyped as “Disco Night,” there wasn’t much of a dance vibe in the “Idol” house. Not only did Adam go all slow-mo on us, Kris Allen (pictured, left) took Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard For the Money” and de-discofied it by strumming his guitar and making it sound like a Jack Johnson tune. And then there was Allison Iraheta putting the brakes on the first part of Summer’s “Hot Stuff.” Talk about thumbing your nose at a genre. Aren’t these kids too young to remember the whole “Disco Sucks” war cry?

Now let’s hear what our Readers Judges Panel had to say:

KAREN LONG (Brentwood): I am furious. For God’s sake it was Disco Night and for the most part, we got ballads. What’s up with that?

I loved Lil and Allison both! They “rocked’ the stage. I was “there” during the disco days and that is what it sounded like. I danced many a dance to “I’m Every Woman” and Hot Stuff”!

The judges just don’t like Lil. … period. When she “changes it up” “she doesn’t know who she is. When Adam changes it up, he is brilliant. I just don’t get it!

COLLEEN GONZALEZ (Concord): I think many people agree that disco makes them cry, but wow, Paula took it to a whole new level. Personally, I still spin the disco ball from time to time and enjoy Disco Week every season. I don’t quite understand Paula’s emotional breakdown during Adam’s performance, but do we ever understand her? Adam seems to have this all wrapped up, and I can’t imagine what he’d have to do to lose at this point.

Kris is truly amazing. Can he knock Danny Gokey out of the No. 2 spot? His arrangements are so great and he brings a touch of coolness to everything he takes on. Danny, though, was able to take a song performed by a band and make a successful solo performance out of it. It’s not an easy task, but he sure makes it look simple.

Lil just cannot find that “it” factor. She proves that it does take more than talent; you have to find that connection within yourself and your audience, and as frustrating as it is to watch, Lil doesn’t have it no matter how hard she tries.

This was not one of Allison’s best performances, and Matt actually didn’t do as bad as I thought he would. Yet puppet master Simon Cowell wants to make sure his comments put Lil, Matt and Anoop Desai in the bottom three. Allison’s hard-won fan base will be proven tomorrow. She’s certainly not in danger of going home, but despite Simon’s glowing review of her performance, it was basically in the same league as Matt’s and Anoop’s.

EDDIE ESTRADA (Concord): Disco Night is usually a hard one for the finalists, and this year was no different. Only a few stepped up their game and showed us what they’ve got, while the others fell FAR behind.

Kris was AH-MAZING! He was my favorite of the night and his arrangement was beautiful. He puts 100 percent of himself into whatever he does. Allison was right up there, but I don’t know if it was her best performance. Her vocals were nice, and she is still one of my faves.

OMG! A tear fell from my eye during Adam’s performance. Beautiful is all I can say. Lil needs to leave this week She has obviously not gotten the memo that has been given to her the past few weeks. WE WANT THE OLD LIL BACK! Danny did the same thing he does every week. Strong vocals, and great crowd interaction. He needs to do something new, or he will soon bore me to death! And what was up with the scruff on his chin?

Though Anoop had the sweet spot tonight, he did not impress me. His vocals were sketchy. Matt was HORRIBLE! His voice was way to many places, but none of them were the right place. He over-sang this song for sure! My bottom three tonight are Lil, Anoop, and Matt.

ALTHEA BATTLE (San Leandro): Hot Lil Moma Allison ripped the stage showing off her hot stuff! She rocked the mic, and I could feel her soul in her vocals! Anoop tried to give an “Eddie Bauer look”; but he looked more like “Eddie Sourer!” His stage presence was not strong, and he’s still BORING! He’s putting me to sleep zzzzzzzz! Sorry to say but, last night was definitely Lil’s last round! Her vocals we’re all over the place, and Lil has no originality shining through in her song selections. But she does have a voice. Kris showed his artistry, and I could hear “She Works Hard For the Money” on his album! Danny broke through from his normal routine, and I liked his “September” arrangement. ~I~love~ADAMS~VOICE!!~ He made a disco song contemporary! Adam brought tears to my eyes, and I’m a FAN! Matt’s vocals were better this week, but he wont be alive much longer in this competition.

TOM HART (San Ramon): And then God made Adam … what a gift to the world! There is not another “American Idol” performer, this year or in past years, whose originality, vocal range, passion and visceral connection to both the song and the audience compares to Adam. He is simply in a class all his own.

Kris rocks, Allison rolls and Danny still brings it, but at this point they are nothing but opening acts for Adam. Goodbye Lil and Matt. Anoop, time to start packing up the pink sweaters … its almost time to go.

CARRIE HULTS (Walnut Creek): I was born in 1997, so I figured Disco Night would be more for my parents, but I actually enjoyed most of the performances.

Adam led the pack once again, with Allison, Danny, and Kris close behind him. Lil Rounds just needs to leave. I agree with Simon, this was her LAST performance, (besides tomorrow night, that is.) Anoop should get voted out right after Lil. Matt just sang for his life. He should give thanks to Lil and Anoop for their so-so performances because that will keep him “Staying Alive.”

Usually I’m not a big fan of the slow songs, but Adam made a slow version of “If I Can’t Have You” fantastic! That’s going in my iPod Favorites for sure. Like Adam, Allison and Kris changed up their disco songs too. They sounded more like modern songs for me than disco songs for my parents. Kris took a big risk, but that risk was an awesome one to take. I really liked his original version of “She Works Hard For the Money.” Allison was super as always, but a little hard to understand. My parents had to tell me she was singing “Hot Stuff,” NOT “Pasta!” All in all the contestants shone like a disco ball.

“American Idol”: Adam displays his “Mad” skills once again appeared first on A+E Interactive.

]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/04/07/american-idol-adams-displays-his-mad-skills-once-again/feed/50adam21“American Idol”: The curious case of Lil Roundshttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/04/07/american-idol-the-curious-case-of-lil-rounds/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/04/07/american-idol-the-curious-case-of-lil-rounds/#commentsTue, 07 Apr 2009 17:00:58 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/?p=13210Is Lil Rounds pulling a disappearing act on “American Idol”? After being pegged as an early favorite, the Memphis native has squandered her momentum in recent weeks and seems to be fading into the background as the show resumes tonight.… Continue Reading →

After being pegged as an early favorite, the Memphis native has squandered her momentum in recent weeks and seems to be fading into the background as the show resumes tonight. “What Lil once had, Lil has now lost: An inner confidence, a youthful bravado, an R&B mojo and a likable diva-esque quality,” says Tom Hart, a member of our six-headed “American Idol” Readers Judges Panel.

“I remember hearing Lil during the auditions, and saying to myself, ‘She will be the next American Idol,'” recalls fellow judge Karen Long. “She totally dazzled me with her big voice, energy and enthusiasm.”

But now what? While the panelists are bewildered by the downturn Rounds, 24, has taken, most of them insist she can rebound if she follows a solid game plan.

“Lil is a natural singer,” says Althea Battle, who heads her own R&B band. “She hasn’t picked material that best complements her voice. She needs to look at two or three things to keep her in the running: 1. Find an image that’s more current for her age group. 2. Pick songs that are more soulful — from artists such as Chaka Kahn and Whitney Houston — to show off her big voice. She also needs to stop trying so hard to be someone she’s not.”

Adds Eddie Estrada, “She just needs to go back to what she did during Hollywood Week. She needs to get back to that R&B flavor that she amazed us with.”

And she needs to do it now — or possibly face elimination.

“Lil needs to not only have her best performance to date, she needs to have the best performance of the night,” says Colleen Gonzalez. “It’s tough to watch contestants like Lil who are so full of talent, but never seem to shine and reach their potential. Sometimes the show seems more like ‘Survivor’ in that you need to be cunning and skillful in your selections, as well as talented.”

Panelist Carrie Hults, however, is skeptical that Rounds can turn it around.

“I never really got what people saw in her,” she says. “She doesn’t listen to the judges. She always picks the wrong songs and has looked very uncomfortable in the past few outfits and hairdos. She should spend more time on choosing songs and rehearsing, and less time on how she looks.”

Possibly in even more danger is Anoop Desai, a singer most of the panelists believe could be headed home this week. “He just doesn’t give that star quality … no stage presence,” Battle says.

]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/04/07/american-idol-the-curious-case-of-lil-rounds/feed/19“American Idol”: Is Scott soaring — or just boring? Kris gains momentumhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/03/31/american-idol-talent-on-the-download/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/03/31/american-idol-talent-on-the-download/#commentsWed, 01 Apr 2009 04:56:06 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/?p=13014“American Idol” dropped the theme thing and went mentorless this week, leaving the contestants to their own devices. That meant they could bust out any popular iTunes download they wanted. It also meant that several of the singers were given… Continue Reading →

]]>“American Idol” dropped the theme thing and went mentorless this week, leaving the contestants to their own devices. That meant they could bust out any popular iTunes download they wanted. It also meant that several of the singers were given enough rope to hang themselves. The result was an uneven, mixed-bag kind of night, in which there was a lot of talk (Tell me if you’ve heard this before) of bad song choices. And, in the case of Allison Iraheta (pictured, left), bad fashion choices. Some performers, however, “got it,” as Adam Lambert wowed the crowd again and Scott MacIntyre and Kris Allen delivered what the Simon Cowell and company deemed to be their best performances so far. Danny Gokey was also praised for a goosbump-raising rendition of Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most.” Now let’s hear what our Readers Judges Panel had to say:

COLLEEN GONZALEZ: When the camera panned across the kids, the way they were dressed made me think it was going to be 80’s night. Instead it was the most downloadable — but it can be old, except it should be current — songs. Very confusing.

Was I watching the same show as the judges? I had a lot of disagreements. That was hardly Danny’s best performance. Although I feel his emotions come through more than the others, this one wasn’t memorable. On the other hand, Allison kicked butt! I really don’t care what she was wearing; she is picking up steam week after week. Meanwhile, Scott thought he was doing something different (Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are”), but to my ears it was the same old boring performance.

Adam has amazing creativity, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. For the second straight week, he took something that could have been a disaster (“Play That Funky Music”) and made it fun and cool. I do want my “Goth Adam” back though. Dude, spike the hair and get that black nail polish back. If you’re going to win this thing, do it as yourself. You have The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Green Day behind you.

Lil Rounds has got to be one of the most talented/frustrating contestants ever. Why can’t she bust it out? Celine Dion? She sang the heck out of it, but we’re all waiting for a “moment” from her. C’mon Lil!

At first it was going to be easy to say the worst was Megan Joy Corkrey, or even Anoop Desai, but then there was Matt Giraud. Matt sounded so out of tune and horrible I had to make sure it was truly coming from him and not my sick dog! As bad as it was, hopefully Megan didn’t unpack her bag last week, because after her weird performance, she’s still the one going home.

CARRIE HULTS: Are the contestants spending too much time on how their hair looks instead of worrying about their songs? It sort of seemed like that this week.

Danny, Allison, Kris, and Adam, were my top half of the Top 40 Song Night. Danny sang a song that I like. It was fantastic, and I agree with Simon, who called it when his best performance of the season. Allison sang, “Don’t Speak.” I really like her with the guitar. She might’ve only played a few notes, but she didn’t sit on a stool like a lot of other contestants do when they sing with a guitar. Unfortunately, her hair was distracting. To me it looked like she had just woken up with bed head, and stuck a big bow on top.

Adam sang a song I’m not familiar with, but he was really good. I like how he changes every week, which makes him very unique. The slicked-back and kind of puffy hair was very awesome and his performance was very original. Kris and Matt both chose to play the keyboard, but Kris rose high on my radar for the first time. The audience surrounded Matt, which took the focus away from him, and they were all I could see. He should have been up on center stage where he belonged. Kris, on the other hand, was on the stage, playing on the keyboard, and changing tempos while he was singing. This performance finally made me take notice of him. He’s a really good singer.

Megan has been disappointing me week after week. I used to like her, until she got all quirky with her little moves. What’s with the necklaces? She wore way too many. When is she going to listen to the judges’ advice about the songs she’s been picking? Scott, I’m sorry to say, just bores me to tears. Yes, it was his best performance, but it was still boring. He needs to change his tempo, and his creepy hair.

Finally there’s Lil. She really seems to take more time worrying about her looks than her song choices. I agree with Simon that she needs to choose songs that fit her age and personality better, and she needs to keep her regular hair. That’s when she seems most comfortable. I haven’t mentioned Anoop for a reason. He’s just not one of my favorites and I don’t have much to say.

EDDIE ESTRADA: Tonight was OK overall, but not the best I’ve seen this season. I was hoping that more of the contestants would step up and show us their groove, but some disappointed me. The first was Anoop. He was HORRIBLE! Horrible vocals, horrible moves, and a horrible song choice. He also needs to cut the back-talk. Anoop, the judges are trying to help you, so LISTEN! I also do not see Anoop as an R&B singer. He needs to rethink his future next week on “Idol,” if he doesn’t get voted off tomorrow. … Megan Joy just needs to leave, like NOW! I swear, at some parts of that song, she sounded like a dying Muppet. It’s not easy being green each week, as I am about to throw up because of the horrible renditions she delivers. She is a beautiful woman, but that beauty is not prevalent in her voice. As for Matt, he just wasn’t consitent enough. He had some good parts, but it was mostly bad. OK, enough with the bad. Danny did very well. Perfect song for him and his vocals were dead on. Allison was my favorite of the night. She had an amazing performance in my book, no matter what the judges said. She is an artist, that I can see going really far. All I can say for Adam Lambert, is AMAZING! PERIOD! There is really nothing else to add. I loved Kris Allen’s performance. He really brought it tonight, and I love the rendition.

KAREN LONG: When they announced the Idol “wannabes” were singing Top 40 downloads from iTunes, I thought to myself, “Karen you’re in big trouble”! I’m probably the only person in the world that doesn’t own an iPod.

But, thank goodness, as it turns out, there were some old songs that I actually knew! OK, I was wrong about Scott, I simply loved his rendition of “Just The Way You Are.” It was fabulous! Bless his heart, he sang so great and looked so cute, he deserves another chance!

Adam absolutely “oozes” star power! That guy is good! I didn’t recognize the title, but definitely knew the song, and as far as I’m concerned, he hit a home run! He can belt it out or slow it down, like he did last week, and he “brings it”. He is really versatile!

As for Kris — whoa! “Ain’t no Sunshine.” That kid can sing and he gets better each week. It looks like he is growing a mustache to make him look a little more mature. Go Kris!

Danny was good and really heartfelt and I love Lil (we need her glorious big voice in this competition), but they did not stand out for me. The rest of them just got lost in the pack. Hopefully, next week it will be Barry Manilow or Frank Sinatra songs. Then I’ll be in my glory!

ALTHEA BATTLE: So we’ve entered the millennium, but some of us are still stuck in a time warp! Lil wore the ULTIMATE PROM DRESS EVER! She looked 35 years or older. Vocals were good, but she’s not getting the point that she needs to be more current, and not just fashion-wise! Lil is too young to have such an old soul. … Well call Danny Mr. Soul Man! His vocals were captivating and amazing. When Danny sings, you can feel his spirit from within. I’m impressed. Still, Adam was the best! His “Funky Music” was a hit! He lights up the stage with his confidence, and his charisma. He’s starting to slide into the top spot in my book mainly because of his versatility. The mini orchestra accompanying Kris was was unnecessary. A big distraction His vocal control was sloppy. Anoop looked too choreographed. You can tell he was instructed what to do on stage. His vocals were good, but I can never take him seriously as an R&B Singer! Matt was trying too hard, and he looked like a corny wedding singer! Mostly his vocals were all over the place. Allison looked like Strawberry Shortcake gone rock! Her vocals were strong, and I don’t think she was screaming (as Simon said). Sometimes when you sing with soul, you can help but to release the power from within. Simon doesn’t know everything! Scott gave a good safe performance, and he demonstrated that he is a much better vocalist than what we’ve been hearing from the past few weeks. Instead of “turning the lights down low,” turn Megans’ vocals went completely off! It was her weakest performance so far. If she doesn’t go home this week, she must be the producers daughter!

TOM HART: Right now its a two-horse race … Adam is way in front, but Kris is gaining ground. Danny is weakening down the stretch. Anoop, Scott and Matt are back in the pack and can only be considered long shots at this time. If Megan were a horse, I’d shoot her just to be merciful. Allison might still make a charge but please lose the “Strawberry Shortcake” silks. Lil seems to have lost her “racing chops.”